Abstract
Recent developments/efforts to understand aspects of the brain function at the sub-neural level are discussed. MicroTubules (MTs), [1] [2] protein polymers constructing the cytoskeleton, participate in a wide variety of dynamical processes in the cell.
Of special interest to us is the MTs participation in bioinformation processes such as learning and memory, by possessing a well-known binary error-correcting code [K1(13; 2 6 ; 5)] with 64 words.
In fact, MTs and DNA/RNA are unique cell structures that possess a code system. It seems that the MTs' code system is strongly related to a kind of "Mental Code" in the following sense. The MTs' periodic paracrystalline structure make them able to support a superposition of coherent quantum states, as it has been recently conjectured by Hameroff and Penrose [3] [4], representing an external or mental order, for sufficient time needed for efficient quantum computing. Then the quantum superposition collapses spontaneously/dynamically through a new, string-derived mechanism for collapse proposed recently by Ellis, Mavromatos, and myself.
At the moment of collapse, organized quantum exocytosis occurs, i.e., the simultaneous emission of neurotransmitter molecules by the synaptic vesicles, embedded in the"firing zone" of the presynaptic vesicular grids.
Since in the superposition of the quantum states only those participate that are related to the "initial signal", when collapse occurs, it only enhances the probability for "firing" of the relevant neurotransmitter molecules. That is how a "mental order" may be translated into a "physiological action".
The last remark needs rigorous derivation. In my view, it requires the kind of
feedback-control loop in which the traditional quantum force of wave on particle
is balanced by a new kind of back-reaction force of particle on wave in Bohm's interpretation.
Different observations/experiments and various schools of thought are in agreement with the above numbers concerning "conscious events". If indeed MTs, with their fine structure, vulnerable to our quantum collapse mechanism may be considered as the microsites of consciousness, then several, unexplained (at least to my knowledge) by traditional neuroscience, properties of consciousness/awareness, get easily explained, including "backward masking", "referral backwards in time", etc. Furthermore, it is amusing to notice that the famous
puzzle of why the left (right) part of the brain coordinates the right (left) part of the body, i.e., the signals travel maximal distance, is easily explained in our picture. In order to have timely quantum collapse we need to excite as much relevant material as possible, thus signals have to travel the maximal possible distance.
The non-locality in the cerebral cortex of neurons related to particular missions, and the related unitary sense of self as well as non-deterministic free will are consequences of the basic principles of quantum mechanics, in sharp contrast to the "sticks and balls" classical approach of conventional neural networks.
The proposed approach clearly belongs to the reductionist school since quantum physics is an integrated part of our physical world.
It is highly amazing that string black-hole dynamics that have led us to contemplate some modifications of standard quantum mechanics, such that the quantum collapse becomes a detailed dynamical mechanism instead of being an "external" ad-hoc process, may find some application to some quantum aspects of brain function. It looks like a big universality principle is at work here, because both in the black hole and the brain we are struggling with the way information is processed, imprinted, and retrieved.
Contents
1 Introduction
2 Brain Mechanics
3 Quantum Mechanics
4 Brain Morphology and Modeling
5 Stringy Quantum Mechanics: Density Matrix Mechanics
6 MicroTubules (MT) I: The biochemical profile
7 MicroTubules (MT) II: The physical profile
8 Microtubules and Density Matrix Mechanics (I): Quantum Theory
of Brain Function
9 Microtubules and Density Matrix Mechanics (II): Quantum Psychophysics
This is still under construction.Links 4 and 6- 9 not yet working. 5 on string mechanics is now working. It has some of the key new stuff. Don't miss it!
Don't miss The Great Debate between Sarfatti and Hameroff on whether Penrose's "orch OR" or Bohm's hidden-variable theory with back-action is the better way to desctibe mind-brain physics.
